Would-be TT visitors have lost thousands of pounds after allegedly being duped into making bogus campsite bookings.

Police have issued an alert over bookings for TT 2019 made through a company called Evolution Camping.

The company was advertising accommodation at a camping area on Blackberry Lane on the Onchan-Douglas border, which it no longer had an agreement to use. Evolution Camping had been given use of the football club site for last year’s TT.

But following a series of issues, the agreement with Ballawattleworth-based Mopurca Ltd, trading as Evolution Camping, wasn’t renewed.

However, Evolution Camping apparently continued to take bookings for this year.

It is understood that bookings for TT2019 were taken over several months - and one group booking lost thousands of pounds.

In a statement, the police said they had been alerted to a number of accommodation bookings which have been made through Evolution Camping.

’The company, who have been taking accommodation bookings for camping during TT 2019 fortnight, were advertising the use of a camping area that is not available to them.

’With the support of Visit Isle of Man, a number of bookings which have been made through this company have already been identified and the customers involved have been contacted.’

Detectives are requesting anyone who has made a booking through this company for accommodation during TT 2019 or beyond that hasn’t already been contacted, to get in touch with Detective Constable Kirsty Bowley in the criminal investigations department at police headquarters.

Evolution Camping was run until June last year by Manxman Ian Moffitt, who no longer lives in the island. He remains a director with Mopurca Ltd, however.

In a tweet, Mr Moffitt, who runs IMR Racing, denied having any involvement with Evolution Camping.

He told iomtoday: ’I can’t comment as there is an ongoing inquiry with the police which I’m co-operating with.’

Evolution Camping’s most recent website has been taken down.

But the original website is still online, although you can’t make bookings on it.

It describes Evolution Camping as having ’industry leading knowledge and experience’ in providing large scale camping facilities and making sure customers have ’a five star experience’.

The website includes glowing testimonials from travel agents and guests.

But some guests who stayed at the Blackberry Lane site last year had different views.

One posted that it was an ’absolute disgrace’.

They said: ’I booked their glamping experience in 2018 and what was advertised was completely different to what I ended up with.’

They claimed there were insufficient working showers and toilets for the number of tents. Another posted: ’Zero facilities.

’Worst stay I’ve ever had anywhere in my 60 years.’

And a third posted: ’This isn’t glamping as it’s advertised.

’Unhygienic toilets - nowhere near enough of them for the number of people they put on the site and not cleaned often enough.

’Misdescribed accommodation.

’We booked a 5m tent but were put in one less than half the size.’

Planning permission has been granted for the Blackberry Lane site to be used for TT camping from this year but Evolution Camping will not be involved.